


Operation: Meet the Parent(s)

by GodRealm



Series: Operation: Attack RWBY Universe [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Comedy, Comfort, F/M, Romantic Comedy, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26855509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodRealm/pseuds/GodRealm
Summary: The long awaited day for Jaune to meet Ruby's father is now upon us. Why is she so nervous? What could go wrong?
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Ruby Rose
Series: Operation: Attack RWBY Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745098
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! A little spur of the moment challenge involving my favorite RWBY pairing to get back to the grind! Hope you all enjoy this Lancaster Two-shot, and please feel free to leave any feedback on what you may think. This is in the Operation: Attack RWBY universe and is a small spin-off to the story. Here is part 1! Thanks!
> 
> \- GodRealm

**BOLD - Yelling**

_Italicized - Inner thoughts_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Ruby pressed her back against a large oak tree while attempting to catch her breath. The unpleasant and jagged splinter edges of the large wooden structure could be felt through her Sunday dress as it irritated her bare skin while she took this time to rest, but this was the least of her worries currently. The burning sensation she was feeling in her chest after every inhalation was more of an issue than a slight prickling.

She hunched herself forward into an almost tripod position to help with her work of breathing. She felt the moisture on her palms as she braced them against her wobbly knees while attempting to remain upright. She could also feel the sweat form on her brow as her breathing now began to calm slightly. It sure didn’t help that the forecast for the day was one of high humidity. 

While normally Ruby wouldn’t fret over something as small as sweating, especially with all the training she was doing to continue her journey as being a top-tier Huntress, today was not about her career path. Today was about something she had been dreading since the thought had crossed her mind only a week ago at graduation time. An awful thought that only lingered in the forefront of her mind as she continued to stand there, spaghetti-legged and exhausted. A thought of pure dread and something she just was not ready for, but something that needed to happen. A meeting that was destined to happen since she and Jaune entered into a relationship. 

Today was the day Jaune would meet her father… and she was late.

**GodRealm proudly presents...**

**A Lightning In a Bottle Production…**

**With characters and locations created by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth…**

** Operation: Meet the Parent(s) **

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

She inwardly groaned as her mind mulled over the inexplicable and horrid scenarios Jaune would run into without her present to try and deflect some of her father’s comments. Don’t misunderstand, Tai was and is a great father to herself as well as her sister, Yang, but when it comes to boys, Tai was _very_ protective of his daughters and their innocence.

Ruby could recall the time Yang was given a heart-shaped card from one of her schoolmates when she was in grade school prior to enrolling at Signal Academy. It was a class-wide project and the students were ordered by their teacher to have fun with it. Each boy and girl would give out cards to any of their friends and classmates just so the children could have something. While Valentine’s day is usually reserved for teenagers and up, the school thought it would be a cute idea.

When the boy approached Yang, she wasn’t sure how to act initially. Believe it or not, Yang was a troublemaker even long before she went to any combat school. She would terrorize students, teachers, and other school staff since her kindergarten days, so it was genuinely shocking to see anyone, let alone a boy, give her anything. In typical yang fashion, she thought nothing to it and put it in her backpack for the day. She wasn’t rude to the boy, but frankly, she had no idea who he even was.

This is as much as Ruby knew from Yang’s account of the story, the rest she saw with her own eyes. Fast forward to Ruby standing with her father, Tai Xiao-Long, outside of Yang’s school waiting to pick her up. 

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo Flashback OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo_

“You cannot have cookies for breakfast, Ruby.” Tai chimed as he held his younger daughter’s hand outside of her daughter’s school.

“It just doesn’t make sense.” She replied nearly sobbing. “Donuts and cookies are both sweets, so what is the difference?!” The then five-year-old pouted with a soft expression.

“Well, you see-”

“And what about croissants and cereal, and all that other sweet stuff?!” She replied, cutting off her father as she waved her free hand around as an attempt to make her statement more emphatic. 

Tai could feel his confidence wavering as he stood there, nearly losing an argument to a child who hadn’t even entered school yet. To her credit, she put up a pretty valid argument. _Why couldn’t cookies be for breakfast?_ He thought to himself. It just seemed to be something parents told their children when they asked. _Has no one really considered this?_ He shook himself from such thoughts as his silver-eyed daughter looked up to him, patiently waiting for an answer. He had to think on his feet for this. He was in deep now and there was no other recourse. If he backed down now, she could contemplate walking all over him and questioning every decision he makes now until she was an adult. 

Tai felt himself sweating as this processed in his mind. Next it would be candy at bed, then staying out late, and then joining a biker gang. The sky was the limit when it came to what she would question after getting away with this one. After all, we all know sly and vindictive a preschooler can be. He could not allow her this power over him. 

Tai inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes and cleared his mind all while still holding Ruby’s hand. She stared up inquisitively now. He would need to pull out his trump card when it came to a situation like this. It was that timeless answer that many adults had told their children when the right answer eluded them. He relaxed himself as he once again gazed down at his daughter ready for the response.

“Because..” He began. “I am your father and I know what is best for you.” _Holy shit, I sound so cool! Summer, did you see me? Total dad mode!_ He thought to himself after giving his reasoning.

Tai smirked as he looked down at his daughter, her wide silver-eyes staring up at him as he explained himself. Tai felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction wash over him as he stood there. He had always wanted to say that and until now, he never found himself cornered, let alone by the younger of his two daughters. Yang never really argued with her father, believe it or not. Even if he explained something to her, she listened, but that didn’t mean she actually followed his command. She had the last say on anything, similar to her mother.

Ruby narrowed her eyes at her father as he stood there with a smile on his face. Needless to say, she didn’t like the answer, or understand it for that matter. How did he know that cookies weren’t saving her life? He wasn’t a doctor! Actually, what was he? Was dad a job? 

Ruby dropped her head, disengaging from the stare she and her father were sharing and now looking down at the dirt beneath her shoes. Tai noticed the change immediately and was baffled by the young girl’s actions. That’s when he heard the sniffles. 

“I guess daddy is just mean.”

“WHAT?! No I-”

“Daddy doesn’t want me to eat cookies, so he can have them all for himself!”

_Oh this is not going to end well. I need a distraction more now than ev-_

“Dad! Ruby!” A yell came from across the school yard.

Tai recognized the yell immediately as his older daughter. Her voice shook him and Ruby from their “discussion”, evidenced by Ruby now looking up and smiling in the direction of her sister’s voice. _Thank Oum._ Tai thought to himself, seemingly dodging this bullet. As wild as she could be, sometimes she knew exactly when to step in.

Yang dashed across the school yard after spotting her family on the far side of the playground. She waved at them as if to say ‘bye’ to the other children for the day. It didn’t take long for her to catch up to her sister and father, her backpack bouncing with each stride she took. As she closed the gap, she grabbed her father and Ruby into a hug as she did every day. It was a warm embrace that was reciprocated by both of them as always. It was one brief family moment that was cherished all around. 

As they each pulled away with a smile, they began their usual walk home. Tai held Ruby’s one hand and Yang, the other. Ruby would often take advantage of this, using the leverage from each side to swing back and forth as the other, taller members of her family, held her in place. The first few steps were silent, as the family enjoyed the sunny day and brisk weather. Winter was here, but mother nature had opted for a warmer temperature for Valentine’s Day. 

“So,” Tai began, as Ruby hummed a tune and kept swinging. “How was school?”

“Boring.” Yang replied as she kept a steady pace.

Tai sighed as he heard her response. _Same as usual._ “Nothing exciting happened today?” He tried to get something out of her.

“Hmm... “ Yang thought as her brow raised and she began looking up towards the sky. “Well, it is Valentine’s Day.” She rebuked. 

Tai laughed to himself at his daughter’s declaration. “That it is.” He answered. ‘Did you get any candy from your teachers?” 

“Oh yeah! A bunch of chocolate!” Yang returned with excitement. “Did you want some?” 

“No, no, I’m good. I don’t want to spoil dinner, and the same goes for you. Keep it to one piece before we eat or you’ll not have room for what I’m making.” Tai stated in his most fatherly tone possible. _I am on my A game today._

“I want some!” Ruby intervened, jumping and now tugging both of their arms so that she would be acknowledged.

Yang stopped in her tracks at her sister’s request, causing the other two to stop as well. She broke away from holding hands and removed her backpack from her shoulder, dropping it to the ground. She reached for the zipper and pulled her bag completely open to have better access to the treats. Ruby hovered over her as she attempted to stare inside, her eyes sparkling at all the goodies. Yang reached in and retrieved two pieces of chocolate for herself and her sister. Ruby gleamed as she accepted the sugary treat, removing the wrapper within a second and popping it into her mouth.

Tai shook his head with a smile as he watched his daughters devour the snacks. He stared down at Yang’s bag, noting the hefty amount of candy that the school's teachers had graciously gifted his daughter amongst the other children. _Why did they give her that much? Do they want the kids jumping off the walls at home?_

That was when he noticed something else. Something he noticed from the corner of the bag. He strolled to it slowly and calmly as his children remained chewing their chocolate treats. He reached into the bag and pulled out the pink object he had noticed seconds earlier. It was revealed to be a Valentine’s Day card, and upon closer inspection, it was a card from a boy.

“Hey, Yang…” Tai started, garnering his daughter’s attention as she finished off her candy. “Who is Elliot?”

“Who?” Yang asked as she crumpled her wrapper and retrieved the one in her sister’s hand as well to make sure they didn’t litter. 

Tai showed her the card in his hand that had the boy’s name on the inside so that she would recognize what he was talking about. “Elliot. The boy’s name is right here. Elliot is a boy, right?”

Yang shoved the wrappers in her pocket to dispose of once they got home, and picked up her bag after zippering it back up. “Oh, that’s his name?” She asked. “Yeah, he gave me the card earlier when everyone was exchanging them. He was nice.”

_Nice?_

“Oh… that’s good.” Tai stated as he continued to hold the card. 

“Yeah, nice boy.”

“You said that already.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I know too. Twice.”

Yang grabbed Ruby’s hand as she looked over at her dad with an eyebrow raised, ready to continue their walk home. “Why are you acting weird, dad?”

“Weird? Who’s weird? Not me. Nope. Just fine. How old is Elliot, anyway?” Tai responded, attempting to interrogate his grade-school-aged daughter about this no-good boy attempting to steal his precious firstborn’s heart.

“I don't know? The same age as me? We are in the same grade and class.” Yang answered honestly. “Can we keep walking now?”

Tai’s mind wandered from the dark place he was going with the questions and decided to oblige his children, smiling once more while gripping (destroying) the pink card in his hand.

“You’re right! Let’s get home! Far away from this school and it’s b--, uh, never mind.” Tai quickly countered.

Tai once again grabbed Ruby’s hand and Yang, the other as they continued their travel home for the night.

“You are so weird today, dad.” Yang stated one last time as they enjoyed the rest of their walk.

The rest of the night went on as it usually did. The family had dinner and enjoyed some bonding as the day turned to night. The girls got their bath and soon after were put down for bed by their father. For Yang, it was another end to another day, but not for Ruby. While Yang was unaware of what happened after, Ruby remembered quite clearly what she saw. 

It was not long after they went to bed that Ruby was unable to sleep. All she could think of was the chocolate-y goodness that she had earlier and how she wanted to get more of that delicious candy. Unfortunately, Yang had decided to leave her bag downstairs tonight, rather than the bedroom they had shared currently. She tried to just wait until the next day, but Ruby and her powerful urges for chocolate were something of a genetic issue. 

Tonight, she would go on a stealth mission. Simple search and rescue, followed by devouring. She looked over at her sister’s bed and saw her eyes were shut as she quietly moved from her own bed, shuffling the blankets off her as she silently placed her feet to the ground. The floor creaked as she tip-toed towards the half-cracked door. She pulled the door open slowly, just enough for her to squeeze out and pulled it back over after exiting. She then made her way for the steps to go downstairs. 

As she approached the steps, Ruby noticed a bright light coming from the living room downstairs. It was something she found odd due to how late it was. Usually her father went to bed not too long after they did, but for him to be up now, was different. She peeked from the stairway down towards the room below and sure enough saw her father leaning next to the fireplace. The fire was strong and it illuminated the entire first floor of the tiny cottage. 

Ruby was totally baffled as she watched her father standing next to the fire, staring down at it. That was until she saw him holding that same pink card as earlier. She stared on as he gripped it in his hand tightly before tossing it into the fire and using the fire poker to force it towards the back so it would burn quicker. She didn’t understand why he burned Yang’s card and he kept stabbing it while it was already in the fireplace and burning up.

She figured this would be a good distraction though as she step-by-step, made her way down the stairs. As she progressed, she noticed Yang’s bag at the base of the steps. Operation: Attack Candy was nearly complete. As she approached the base of the stairway, she neglected to skip the bottom step. This was the step that once any amount of weight was placed on it, it would play the “song of its country”, squeaking loudly as her tiny frame made contact with the warped wood. 

Ruby sweat-dropped as she looked over at the fireplace as her father, now noticing she was there, stared back at her. Both were silent for a moment as Tai dropped the poker, turning wide-eyed as he knew he had been found out. The only noise now, was the continued squeak of the floorboard beneath Ruby.

“Oh… hey, hunny.” Tai attempted.

“Hey… dad.” Ruby answered.

“You saw me, didn’t you?” Tai replied, cutting right to the chase.

Ruby began sweating as she tried to not make eye contact now, assuming she saw something she definitely shouldn’t have. As she looked away, she could hear the footsteps of her father approaching her, each louder than the last. Before she knew it, he was standing right in front of her as she looked back in his direction. Without hesitation, he moved towards Yang’s bag and opened it retrieving two pieces of candy from it. Ruby kept her eyes on him as he stood before her again before crouching down to her height and holding the treats out.

Okay, Ruby was definitely confused now as she hesitantly retrieved the candy he was offering and held them close to her chest.

“You didn’t see anything now, right?” Tai asked her with a perspiring head, something that Ruby noticed and chalked it up to standing too close to the warm fire.

She nodded in response instead of offering words, being too confused to offer any words to what he was saying or had done. 

“All you have to know is I am protecting your sister from the evil that is Y-chromosomes.” Tai offered sternly

“Is that card a Y-chro… charm… what you said?” Ruby attempted.

“That’s right.” Tai answered. “And we have to keep her safe just like I keep you safe. So don’t tell her what happened and we will both become stronger and fight those Y-chromosomes. Okay?”

Ruby gripped the candy close to her chest and gave a serious expression to her father as she nodded her head in compliance. Ruby did not want anything to happen to her big sister and she would do whatever it took to save her. She understood why her father did it now, protection.

Tai placed his hand on his younger daughters head and ruffled her hair slightly as he gave a big smile like he often did.

“That’s my girl. Now go head back to bed, it’s pretty late.” He finished.

“Okay, daddy.” Ruby answered before turning around. 

She turned around after that and made her way back up the steps as Tai kept his eyes on her. Ruby’s tiny body climbing each step, still keeping the same look on her face. She was concerned now. What were these evil Y... things? Were they deadly? Whatever they were, they were after her sister and she was not going to let them win. She would need to get stronger. She needed to help her dad and save everyone. 

This was the moment Ruby decided she needed to be a Huntress. The Grimm were bad and now so were these Y-things. Ruby kept this train of thought as she popped one of the pieces of chocolate into her mouth. Before she knew it, she was back at the door to her bedroom and pushed the door open slightly. She peeked her head in to see Yang’s eyes were still shut and still asleep. Once again, she moved silently as she chewed her sweet candy and made it back into bed.

She got back under the covers and rested her head on her pillow. Her mind was stuck on the conversation she just had with her father. If she wanted to be strong and learn how to fight she would have to start tomorrow. It was for the sake of her family. Maybe next time Uncle Qrow came over he could give her some pointers. She was not going to let the Y’s win!

“I’ll take that other piece of candy you brought with you in your hand there, Rubes.”

“Aw, come on!”

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo End Flashback oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo_

Ruby replayed that memory in her head as she exhausted her semblance ability again, trying to gain as much ground on Jaune as she could. This was the last time she went weapon shopping with Pyrrha. That woman knew she had an addiction to the latest and greatest combat gear that Vale had to offer and that she was supposed to meet Jaune in the town of Patch early this afternoon. _Yes, it was all her fault._ She thought inside her head, trying to point the finger at anyone but herself.

The two had agreed to meet in Patch earlier after Jaune had returned from a joint operation with another team. Team CFVY was short one member after Velvet came down with something and he somehow got roped into joining them. It was something he would go on to complain about the entire time to Ruby while messaging each other through their scrolls. He compared Coco to a slave driver and she kept muttering something about his outfit being “dreck”, or something. Once their mission had finished, Jaune hopped on an airship that would take him to Patch and said bye to the rest of the team. Their recent mission was not far from the island, so he thought it better to just meet there, which she agreed to.

After their wild and _eventful_ weekend not long ago, they both thought it would be best for Jaune to meet her father formally. They both knew of each other based on stories Ruby told each of them, but things were going to get serious soon. They were already living in Neptune and Weiss’s spare bedroom while they waited for their own apartment to be ready and since graduation and becoming both a Huntsman and a Huntress, things were progressing. The idea of bridging a boy before her father still worried Ruby, but he had convinced her to do it.

She put together this plan, Operation: Meet Dad, in which she would bring him to meet her father and then later on, explain that they were dating after breaking the ice rather than just come out with it. She figured it would at least build up some credibility for Jaune rather than say he was her boyfriend and Tai tune out anything the boy said after that out of “fatherly protection.” it took some time but she figured this plan would be best. The only problem? Jaune decided to go AWOL. 

While Ruby was indeed late, Jaune decided that he needed to “be a man”, and rather than wait for her to arrive, decided to ask the townspeople where the Xiao-Long residence was and go to meet him without her, hoping it would show some sort of macho something or other. 

She face-palmed when she saw the message on her scroll hours later after being swept up in all the combat equipment she had been looking at. It was like the worst possible outcome she could imagine. She lost track of time, _damn Pyrrha,_ and then Jaune decides now of all times to try and take the lead on something that was way over his head. His last message to her was: 

_“I don’t want you to talk me out of this so I am turning off my scroll. It’s probably best I give him my full attention when we meet anyway, rather than sit on my phone. I love you and I will see you soon.”_

While she blushed at the ‘I love you’ part more than she wanted to admit, he knew this was not going to be a good outcome.

Ruby finished one last sprint as she arrived on the edge of town. From here, she could see her cottage through the small thicket of trees and bushes. She had finally made it here, just much later than she wanted to. Now she just had to make sure Jaune wasn’t buried out back already.

“I’m coming, Jaune.”

** To be concluded! **

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO


	2. Operation: Meet the Parent(s) Pt. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Well, as usual, I over-promised and under-delivered. It's been over a few months since I started writing this, but life always likes to get in the way. I got COVID, finished my wedding plans, and had a baby. Anyway, enough excuses. Here is the second part to the O:AR universe story a little later than we all wanted. I thank you for your patience and I hope everyone is ready for Volume 8, because I know I am! Please leave a review if you so see fit and let me know what you though. Enjoy!
> 
> GodRealm
> 
> BOLD – Yelling
> 
> Italicized – Inner Thoughts

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Ruby caught herself stumbling as she made her way down the cobblestone path to her home. This was definitely a new record for herself getting from Vale to her soon-to-be former residence. Too bad she wasn't even going for that. If how she was feeling now after nearly breaking the light and sound barrier getting to this point was any indication, she was going to be feeling it tomorrow morning as well.

If I didn't love him, I'd kill him for this. Ruby mentioned to herself over and over again in her head. She had wrestled with the idea of leaving Jaune to his own fate with each step she took now as she finally reached the front door but she had come too far now and been through too much to let that happen.

Ruby took one last long breath as she reached for the golden doorknob that allowed entry into the residence, not ready for what was on the other side or how she was going to talk her way out of this situation. She wasn't one to lie to her father, but she wasn't sure how to handle something like this. The headache she was developing now from the different scenarios racing through her mind were enough for her to want to just come out with the whole story rather than think of a cover up, though she knew THAT couldn't happen.

But, as fate would have it, she wouldn't get the chance to make either decision.

"Nooo!" A voice yelled from the other side of the door as Ruby stopped mid-reach for the door.

"J-Jaune?" She mumbled to herself nervously, retracting her hand slightly.

"Please, I can't take any more!" Jaune's voice called from the other side of the door loudly.

Without further hesitation, Ruby grasped the doorknob and flung the door open before bursting into the house quickly, imagining the worst. What happened next was… something she wasn't expecting… something far more annoying than what she pictured.

Jaune wasn't crying. He was laughing. They were both laughing. Tai and Jaune were laughing… together.

Ruby's paled-over face returned to color as her eyes could not divert from what she was seeing, becoming still as a statue.

"Oh, please!" Jaune continued laughing from the living room couch. "You have to tell me another one!"

"Okay, okay." Tai responded from his seat by the fire. "Why couldn't the bicycle stand up by itself?"

"I-I don't know." Jaune answered, eager for the answer to be told. "Why couldn't it?"

At this point Ruby didn't know to feel as she stood there in the doorway, seemingly being ignored. On one hand, she was relieved that Tai wasn't burying him out back next to the vegetable garden, but on the other hand, watching them be all "buddy buddy" after she killed herself getting back to Patch to save him made her… twitch with anger.

There was something about the joy on both of their faces that made her want to just take either end of Crescent Rose and shove it right up their collective-

"Because!" Tai yelled from his chair, throwing his arms in the air in an overly-exaggerative way. "It was two-tired!"

Ruby watched as the room erupted into further tittering, with each laugh somehow becoming louder than the last, still remaining firm in the same spot she had been upon entry. Ruby wasn't usually one to get a temper, or even show disdain towards people or other things in life. In fact, she usually had a genuinely upbeat attitude and a smile that could make anyone melt (i.e. Jaune), but whatever was going on in this room, left her with half-lidded eyes and a grimace as she continued to watch the scene unfold before her.

Even as the laughs faded, she couldn't come to terms with what was happening. How did they even get to this point? Why was her dad so excited to tell these… awful jokes that he and yang often traded? And most importantly, why was Jaune enjoying them? That was probably the part that grossed her out the most.

Her irritation grew until the one thing that could ever stand a chance of changing her attitude did just that. Sparkling silver eyes met cerulean blue as the knight in the room finally noticed the petite redhead standing off to the side near her front entrance on the far side of the living room. Tai was still too busy laughing at his own joke to have noticed the two as they exchanged a look and Jaune offered a tiny grin.

"Hey, Rubes." He simply stated.

Damn him. She thought to herself as all annoyance left her body. He had that effect on her sometimes. His smile could help him get away with murder when it came to her.

She returned the smile with one of her own as she continued to breathe heavily in the doorway entrance. As she stood there, her father took notice of her finally as well.

"Ruby!" He exclaimed in a joyful tone. "What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you for a few more hours."

"Hey dad," Ruby replied while finally catching her breath. "I decided to leave a little early and… try and enjoy more time at home is all!" She lied.

Tai strolled over to her slowly from his resting area in the living room as she waited for him. Instantly, he pulled her into a tight hug, something she was all too familiar to over the years.

"Welcome home, kiddo." He stated.

"Thanks, dad." Ruby replied, returning the hug with one of her own.

The hug lasted only a few seconds, but it was warm and loving. Her father was embarrassing, but he knew how to give a hug and how to make her feel loved. Growing up without a mother most of her life, Ruby always knew to take these moments in and enjoy them as much as she could. Life was precious, but fragile.

Jaune looked on at the scene from the couch with a smile. He knew how much her father meant to Ruby and that's why he wanted to make a good impression on him. Growing up with many siblings and both parents, he had a more coddled life than she did and couldn't imagine not having them around.

Once the hug ended, Tai kept a hold of his younger daughter, not quite ready to let her go. He looked down at her, as she looked away, embarrassed as usual by him. He loved both his daughters equally, but Ruby would always be the baby. Not to mention Yang was ready to be independent and not be a "daddy's-girl" since she was able to walk and talk. Once that had happened, he made sure to hang on to Ruby's innocence for as long as possible. Tai had narrowed it down to the genetics of their mothers, respectively.

"Come sit down with us, Ruby." Tai finally spoke. "Dinner is already cooking"

Ruby took this time to take a whiff of the aroma that she hadn't noticed yet. She knew her dad would be cooking, but that had gotten lost in the back of her mind with the worries at the forefront. The smell made her drool internally as it resonated with her senses. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed a home-cooked meal from her father in her family home, so the feeling was comforting and nostalgic for Ruby. If she had to take a guess, it smelled like—

"Haaaaaammmmm~" Ruby cooed as she wiped real drool away from her mouth this time.

"I remembered." Tai stated as he nodded his head to her response. "It should be done in a few minutes if you both want to have a seat at the dinner table."

Ruby nodded in return and motioned for Jaune with her hand to follow her as she wasted no time moving passed her father and moving towards the small kitchen table in the other room. Jaune read the signal and stood up from the couch and walked briskly over to the table as well before taking a seat across from Ruby. Tai was last to head towards the kitchen, waiting for both of the younger adults to take their seats.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next few minutes were rather quiet as Tai tended to the food he had been cooking. Jaune and Ruby made small talk regarding recent deployment on missions and compared jobs. Before long, dinner was served and the three began eating. Yes, everything seemed to be going rather well…

"So, Jaune," Tai began. "Are you planning to marry my daughter?"

As if on cue while swallowing, Jaune began choking on the forkful of food he had just attempted to ingest. A coughing fit followed while Ruby merely dropped her utensil on the table and covered her now-reddened face with her hands.

He didn't. She thought to herself. Oh Oum, please tell me he did not just ask that!

Jaune's coughing fit began to dwindle, albeit, after a seemingly very long minute or so. Tai merely kept eating as the other two continued to have a mental dilemma. Ruby couldn't speak. Her mind was still processing the whole question. She was eighteen now, sure, but marriage? Who asks that?!

"I-I-I" Jaune attempted.

"Because I do expect grandkids from this one." Tai stated as he pointed towards the red-haired girl sitting off to his left. "Her sister, I'm not so sure. She's a bit of a wildcard."

"Dad!" Ruby yelled, still red from embarrassment.

"What? It's true! Who knows what Yang is up to. She's bound o-"

"Not that!" Ruby nearly screeched as she stood up. "J-Just stop! We just started dating!" She finished, now mortified by the whole exchange.

Jaune's breath slowed as the coughing finally died completely. He sat with an awkward smile and nervous sweat as he watched his girlfriend attempt to try and defuse the situation they found themselves in so abruptly. He'd be lying if he didn't say that he hadn't imagined such a scenario, but that's all it was, a scenario.

His mind was interrupted by Tai who was now belly-laughing at the whole thing while Ruby was busy pouting at her father now, not finding it quite as amusing.

"Daaaaaad." She whined.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He continued to laugh between his words, while rubbing the tears from his eyes. "It's just something I wanted to do that I see in those movies all the time. It's the girl's father's job to be awkward." He confessed.

Ruby just grabbed at the sides of her head in frustration and attempted to massage her temples. A movie?! Really?! What was wrong with this man?!

"This was not the conversation I was expecting to have today." She muttered as she continued to rub the sides of her head with her eyes closed, leaning forward on the kitchen table.

"Oh?" Tai inquired with a raised eyebrow. "And what were you planning to talk about?" He finished as he was now leaning back and taking a sip of his drink.

"Well, for starters," Ruby began. "Jaune and I are moving in together."

"What?!" Tai shouted after violently spitting his drink towards Jaune and his food. "Don't you think it's really soon for that?"

Jaune remained quiet as he dabbed himself off after being doused in what he assumed was some sort of darker cola beverage, or at least, he hoped. The awkward conversation between Ruby and her father could remain just that, between them. He knew his place for this part, and that was to remain supportive. When Jaune decided to go it alone on the travel to Patch, he was doing it to show respect to Mr. Xiao Long. He heard stories from Ruby and Yang about how intense he could be around guys that he thought were even close to his daughters, but he didn't want Ruby talking him out of seeing him again. He made sure to take the early flight over while Ruby was busy to ensure that didn't happen.

He recalled the flight over as being… stomach-churning, much like the rest of them, but this time he had the nervousness factor on top of that. He had met him briefly during the Vytal festival and then again at graduation, but he was never introduced as "the boyfriend", but just "Jaune" or "Vomit Boy". At this age, she could have at least called him Vomit Man. Regardless, Jaune didn't want to be that awkward, unlikable guy who never gave a proper introduction. Sure, Ruby would vouch for him and maybe even Yang if she was feeling generous rather than playful, but he wanted to make the best possible impression. He loved Ruby and he wanted her father to know that as well.

He was interrupted briefly from his thoughts as Ruby readied her response, fidgeting in her seat.

"Well," She started. "W-We know what we want. We might be young, but we are serious. And… and… we like each other a lot."

Tai took another sip of his drink as he listened closely to his daughter, still skeptical of the idea. "I see." He replied. "And where exactly are you moving into together at?"

Jaune could see how uncomfortable Ruby was at further questioning. The resolve she had at the beginning of the conversation, now draining quicker with each passing moment.

Ruby's father seemed more laid back than what she had briefed him on prior, even welcoming Jaune with open arms into the household. He recalled the greeting as warm, and when he announced that he was dating Ruby, Tai asked him the normal questions: How long have you known Ruby? How tall are you? Where did you meet? How tall are you? How was life at Beacon? How tall are you? You know, normal stuff.

Jaune continued to watch Ruby as she stared downward at the floor, playing with the seam of her dress now. Normally, he would leave it to her, but this just seemed like something a boyfriend should do, so without much more thought, he cleared his throat, garnering the attention of her father.

"Well, sir…" Jaune spoke. "I put a down payment on an apartment in Vale. We have friends in the same apartment building across the hall. One of them is her partner, Weiss Schnee."

"Go on." Tai replied. Ruby took this time to begin scarfing down the remainder of her dinner with the spotlight off herself. She sent Jaune a thankful wink in response.

"Right… Well, we wanted to be close to everyone after we graduated so if for any reason we are called to assemble, we can be in a good location, and why not Vale, right?"

"Not a bad idea, I suppose." Tai said while staring at the ceiling. "But are you well-equipped to care for my daughter? Vale is a dangerous city as well."

"Dad, seriously? I can take care of myself." Ruby whined as she finished the last bit of food on her plate.

"I'm just saying." Tai stated matter-of-factly as he placed his drink back on the table and waved his hands in response. "It has some not so-nice areas."

"Oh yeah, like where?" Ruby asked dubiously as she pushed her plate away.

"Well, there are some shady hotels on the north end of the city, come to think of it."

Ruby and Jaune sat at attention at the comment her father had made. Ruby looked over at Jaune, and he at her as they both became slightly excitable at the comment. "Oh, no kidding?" Jaune replied as he swallowed hard, giving Tai his attention again.

"Yeah, it's sketchy, all right. Not to go into details, but while I was avoiding your mother years ago for uhh… different reasons, but I wound up hiding in one of those places for a while until I was found eventually. Your mother had a knack for being a good detective."

It was Ruby's turn to swallow hard as she thought back to a night not so long ago.

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Ruby looked to her sister who shrugged her shoulders and made her way to the desk. Ruby followed shortly after, wondering what this was about now. She approached the desk, still slightly apprehensive, which was evident on her face. Salem offered a playful smile and shook her head as Ruby continued to stare at her.

"Sorry girl." She started. "You reminded me of a girl from years ago that looked just like you. She had the same demeanor. I was just having a little fun."

"Someone that looked-"

"In any case," Salem interrupted her. "I can tell how sincere you are. I do believe you."

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"That's a great story, dad." Ruby piped up loudly from her chair, ready to change the conversation.

Tai pondered his daughter's sudden reaction as he nearly jumped himself at her excitement. He shrugged it off as her being weird, much like her mother before regaining his composure once more.

"But yes, there are quite a few non-Grimm dangers in Vale alone."

"I get what you're saying, Mr. Xiao-Long, but we are ready to begin our lives and we wanted this to be our first step." Jaune replied.

Tai saw the sincerity in the boy's words much like he did earlier when he arrived at his home. Tai hated to admit it, but he liked Jaune, something he didn't think was quite possible. That being said, he was still a father looking after his daughter. He needed to make sure that if he was entrusting Ruby to him, he asked the difficult questions.

"How tall are you?"

"S-Six foot one, sir. Wait, haven't you asked me th-"

"Look dad," Ruby stated as she cut Jaune off again. "This is what we decided and while we may have only been together a short amount of time, we know just about everything about each other. I don't know if he told you, but Jaune was the first person I met at Beacon." She finished as she looked over at the blond knight across from her, offering him a warm smile, a gesture he returned.

Tai stared at the two younger adults at his table as they exchanged looks at one another. Without any knowledge to it, the corners of his mouth began stretching upwards to form a smile. He sat there for several moments before the realization hit him that he was committing such an act. From that alone, he knew the was an uphill battle. He knew before this feeling it would be with how difficult Ruby could be. Whatever she wanted, she got, and there was no fighting it.

Tai sighed as he leaned back in his chair, catching the attention of the other two parties at the table. He massaged the bridge of his nose for several moments before speaking once more to them.

"So," Tai questioned. "this is what you came here to say today, huh? Very well. I don't have any arguments."

Ruby smiled before making her way to her dad and enveloping him in a big hug. Tai returned the hug, giving her a good squeeze for her efforts. Tai had raised two beautiful, intelligent women that were getting older as much as he hated to admit it. He knew that one day soon they would both move out and start a family of their own. He just wasn't ready for the younger of the two to be raring to go so soon. At least he still had Yang to crack dad jokes with.

"Thanks, dad. But you know, I also came here to introduce Jaune to someone else." Ruby replied.

Tai raised an eyebrow as he continued to hold his younger daughter. "Zwei?"

"Nope. They've already met. I wanted to take him to see mom."

Tai and Jaune both were surprised by this statement. Jaune knew that her mother was long deceased, but not much else. She kept a lot about her mom to herself, not that she knew that much since she passed while Ruby was younger. It was just a subject he wasn't entirely comfortable with addressing.

Tai on the other hand was shocked that Ruby would bring anyone to her mother's monument. All these years later, she still visited and spoke to her mother as if she were able to answer and be part of their family. It also spoke volumes on how much she trusted Jaune. Just another reason not to fight this whole thing.

"Okay then, what are we waiting for?"

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The walk from the house was rather uneventful. Jaune enjoyed the small breeze that whistled between the trees as they strolled through the forest. He watched as Ruby and her father hiked ahead of him. He thought it would be good to leave them some time alone to speak and offered to lag behind and take in the scenery.

Growing up in the city of Vale with a large family, he didn't often get time to enjoy the more rural aspects of the countryside. Even when he used to go camping with his family, he was often stuck with all his siblings. The only solace he received was when he got his own tent at night for being "special." So, needless to say he took his time as they all made their way towards Summer's grave. He figured that her grave would be within the limits of their house property and never imagined it was going to be as long of a walk as it had been, not that he was complaining.

He cut his thoughts off for a moment as he watched Tai come to a stop up ahead. The trees had opened to a clearing where the bright sun had shone down on all of them. At the far end of the clearing, where Ruby had kept walking was the edge of a cliff and from what Jaune could make out was a headstone. The headstone.

Jaune approached Tai as he watched Ruby finish her own trek several feet ahead of them. He could here faintly the sounds of Ruby speaking while he stood there. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but assumed he wasn't meant to anyway. Jaune stared towards Tai at this time. He noticed tai's face was concentrated solely on Ruby as he kept a smile. To Jaune, the smile seemed to hide something though; pain, regret, remorse possibly? He didn't know nor could he understand the pressures of being a single parent or father. Jaune came from a loving home with two great parents and for Tai to do all that he had done for his daughters made him almost like a hero in his own right.

Fighting Grimm and saving lives were one thing, but not all heroes wore capes or swung giant scythe-guns. Some heroes are made at home, where they need to be.

"You're kind of awesome."

"What was that?"

"O-Oh, uh, I mean, I was saying that, you're kind of awesome?" Jaune recanted as he rubbed his head nervously, staring away from Tai.

Tai turned towards Jaune and looked at tall young man. "How's that?" He replied as he crossed his arms and smirked.

"W-Well, you raised two great girls, mostly on your own from what I am told. I can't imagine all the detail that goes into that and all the sacrifices you made to make it work. Being a Huntsman and a full-time father don't exactly go hand in hand."

Tai was a little shocked at Jaune's declaration. He wasn't wrong by any means, but it was strange having someone you barely know compliment you on just doing something that you'd been doing for many years now. Tai loved being a father, and he wouldn't change it for the world, but it was a handful to say the least. He would fight the horrors of the Grimm outside the house and then the horrors of children inside the house, and sometimes the Grimm were preferable.

"So, I guess, what I'm trying to say is… Thank you." Jaune finished.

"Thank you?"

"Yeah, if not for you and your job as a father, I might not have met Ruby or Yang and I might not be half the person I am today." Jaune stated as he rubbed his arm and chuckled. "I know I have a lot to prove to you, but I want to let you know I have nothing but good intentions for Ruby. I love her, I really do. So yes, thank you." He finished with a smile.

Tai wasn't normally an emotional person around people he didn't know. He was stoic when he wanted to be and a big softie when it came to his children. So, the revelation was strong for even Tai when he felt himself pull the young blond into a hug.

Jaune wasn't sure how to react. Honestly, he thought he upset the man more than anything and was possibly about to be launched off the cliff they were standing on. That's when he heard a muffled "thank you" of his own escape Tai's mouth as he held him there for several seconds. Jaune was still nervous about returning the hug though, placed on the spot so quickly, so he opted to just pat Tai's back with the open arm he had at this time.

"You're a good one, Jaune." Tai finished as he pulled away from the boy. Jaune only caught a quick glance, but he swore he saw wipe something away from his face as he spun around to look back at his daughter. Just in time as well, as Ruby had looked back at the pair, waving her hand at them.

"I think she's summoning you to meet Summer, Jaune." Tai spoke.

"W-What, m-me?" Jaune answered, pointing at himself as if there was anyone else around.

"Yes, you. Now get on up there."

"R-right."

Jaune gulped once more before taking the short walk to meet with Ruby. Even though this wasn't a true meeting, he still felt nervous. Was there a way to make a good or bad impression? If there was, he had short time to contemplate how to lean towards the "good" outcome. Within a few seconds, Jaune was beside a smiling Ruby who greeted him. He gave a small wave with a nervous chuckle as he approached the headstone before reading it.

"Summer Rose – Thus Kindly I Scatter." Was engraved in the marble slate. Jaune half wanted to make a comment on how beautiful the site was, but Ruby cut him off before he could make any remark.

"So, this is Jaune, mom. He's the one I was telling you about." Ruby voiced. "He's been through so much with me and… I love him. We have an awkward story about how we got together, so I'd rather skip all that if it's okay?" Jaune chuckled to himself a little as Ruby stroked her cheek awkwardly with one finger. "But he's great to me I wanted you to meet him too."

"Uh…hi." Jaune forced out as nervous as can be.

"She doesn't bite, you know." Ruby laughed. "Just introduce yourself."

"R-right, yeah, of course. Sorry." Jaune stated as he tried to gain some composure. "Hi, I'm Jaune Arc, and I am madly in love with your daughter. I-I know this seems abrupt and I hope I'm not being rude, but I am so in love with her. I can't picture myself without her at this point. Every day I wake up I just want to see her and speak with her and make her smile." He continued excitedly.

Ruby stood behind Jaune, twirling her hair nervously now. The slight hue of pink evident on her cheek. Yeah, she wanted him to speak about them, but she wasn't ready for all this now. Still, that didn't mean he shouldn't keep going.

"She's special to me, more than anyone or anything. And I promised your husband the same thing I will promise you. I have a lot to prove and I plan to do it. I will make her happier than anyone. That is my goal now." He stated firmly. Ruby was taken back by how much of a one-eighty he had done, standing strong now rather than awkward. "So, I hope we have your blessing, because I know how much you mean to Ruby and how much you mean to her."

Ruby's legs felt like gelatin as she watched on. It was a scene she never thought she would have in her life. Introducing a boy to her mother and him asking permission to her. It felt pure and wholesome in a sense. She was already looking forward to life with Jaune, but this just re-affirmed it for her.

Jaune looked over at Ruby as she stood beside him. She laced her fingers into his as he held out a hand for her to take. Normally with her father behind them, she would think twice on being so close with Jaune, but she felt the need to lean her head on his shoulder after such a cute speech.

He looked over at her after finishing his talk with her mother and asked her, "So, how was that?" Hoping he made a good impression thus far.

"If I had to guess, I'd say she likes you… a lot." Ruby finished before standing on her toes to give Jaune a peck on the cheek, to which he smiled like a goof. They watched as the sun began to set off the horizon at the grave site, no longer caring if Tai was behind them, which he wasn't. They wouldn't know this until several minutes later when they turned to head back to the house that he had left right after Ruby had requested Jaune to her side.

For now it would just be them, a sunset, and Summer.

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Tai shuffled through his shed in the garden area in the back of the house as he came across the shovel he had been looking for all this time. That's when he came across a box of old belongings and pictures of Ruby as a child. He glanced through a few of the parcels with a smile, admiring the trophies of the past and some embarrassing photos to say the least.

He made a mental note to pick his favorites out before sealing it up. Perhaps Ruby might even enjoy some of the old memories one day. He would have to get her address one day soon for the apartment to send her a nice package of her old belongings. That being said, he had other plans for now.

Once he was ready, Tai exited the shed, shovel in hand and found made his way over to a grassy spot behind the house before he began to dig. He had little time before Ruby and Jaune made their way back to the house, and as much as he liked Jaune now after a short time, he had to be prepared in case something bad happened and he broke his sweet daughter's heart.

"Damn it…" he muttered as he stopped digging his hole. "How tall did he say he as again?"

THE END.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes another story. Glad to finally have finished this off. There is one other story I haven't finished off just yet that I will be working on before I move on to a certain sequel. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing.
> 
> -GodRealm

**Author's Note:**

> Totally new territory for me with a two-shot. I’m excited to put this out and finally get back into the rotation of pumping out more content. Summer was exhausting, but I am ready for the fall! Let’s get spooky! I’ll try and get this next chapter out ASAP. Stay tuned!
> 
> \- GodRealm


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